Healing Ceremony On Bypass Site

On Saturday, Caltrans and the CHP allowed over a hundred protesters to enter the Willits Bypass construction site to conduct a healing ceremony. Julia "Butterfly" Hill was among those who crossed the 101 and entered the site that used to be wetlands before being destroyed by Caltrans.

Julia Butterfly to Speak at Oct. 12 Rally in Willits

Activist Julia Butterfly Hill, whose 738-day tree sit in the roughly 1,500-year-old redwood tree Luna in the late-1990s made her an icon of eco-defense struggles, will speak at the Coalition to Save Little Lake Valley’s October 12th “Take A Stand For the Willits Wetlands!” event.

The event begins at 12 noon. Gather at Recreation Grove (E. Commercial and S. Lenore) to carpool, shuttle, or bike en masse to the festivities.

Will Parrish Extracted After 11 Days in Crane

Little Lake Valley Defender, Will Parrish was arrested today after being cut out of his lockbox by the California Highway Patrol. Amanda Senseman was also arrested.

Day 8 of Crane Occupation

Press Release: For immediate release: June 27, 2013 Contact: Freddie Long 707-459-5267 or Jamie Chevalier 707-354-4796 Photo credit: Steve Eberhardt, Willits News High-res photos on request 707-354-4796 Daring Aerial Resupply Reaches Parched Crane-Sitter on Caltrans Tower In an action combining daring, danger and comedy, Earth First! activists succeeded in putting a climber atop the second wick drain driver, and stringing a traverse rope to the crane-sitter who had been without food and water for a week. The bold action was carried out in broad daylight Wednesday afternoon. To get to the tower, the climber had to cross a wide belt of bare earth, guarded by 2 CHP vehicles. In spite of floodlights and guards, the climber delivered his life-saving supplies, and vanished into the night. One week ago Little Lake Valley Defender and writer Will Parrish set up residence on a 2-ft wide plank halfway up one of the two 100’ towers. About 40 people entered the worksite Saturday evening to bring supplies to Parrish, who had run out of food and water and was facing cold wet weather. In a dramatic confrontation, CHP officers cut his supply rope. After a standoff of several hours, six people were arrested, including a mother and daughter who were grabbed while attempting to comply with CHP orders to leave. Concern for Parrish’s safety after four days without food or water has been mounting, and a medical team sought permission to bring water. Communication was cut when his cell phone fell from the tower the first day. During Saturday’s resupply attempt, Parrish called down from his perch: “I’ll starve before I’ll let this machine install another wick drain.” According to Parrish, who now has a phone, “I’ve just been resupplied by a real-life superhero. The machine operator started to lower the crane with him on it, and the CHP just watched.” Bystanders and press recorded the life-threatening incident on camera and video. Carrying supplies and gear, the climber scaled the tower, and attached his safety harness about 60’ up. CHP officers were preoccupied with the effort to extract one of their vehicles from the deep mud near the site’s entrance, about 100 yards away. The officers summoned several passing protesters to help them, apparently taking them for passersby walking their dogs. The protesters helped free the car, which then got stuck again. The patrol cars next to the machine were apparently unmanned at the time. Surveying the sea of mud left by three days of rain, long-time Willits resident Freddie Long observed: “This is a perfect illustration of why the wick drains are such a bad idea. This should be wetland, not a freeway.” Bypass opponents say they will stop protesting when Caltrans stops work on the current version of the bypass, which they maintain is environmentally destructive and fiscally irresponsible. Sticker price for the 6 miles of road is $210 million dollars, not counting bond interest and cost overruns, or the $300 million dollar phase 2 of the project, which Caltrans says will be necessary to bring the current project up to safety standards. Local citizens and civic organizations have long advocated a set of cheaper, less destructive alternatives. A meeting between opponents of the current project and Caltrans head Malcom Dougherty is set for July 9th.

Will Parrish on Third Day of Wick Drain Crane-sit

Will Parrish has been in the tower of a wick drain driver since Thursday morning. "We have seen the agencies involved in regulating this project roll over time and again. We have seen Caltrans install itself as a veritable occupying power in this Valley. In the last several years, it has used the threat of eminent domain - both explicit and implied - to gobble up 2,000 acres from valley ranchers to use for its sham 'environmental mitigation'
projects.

May 31 Protest in Willits

Anti-bypass protesters protested at three locations in Willits today.

Memorial Day Protest Against the Willits Bypass

Dozens of protesters came out in the rain to protest against CalTrans.

Three Arrested Today Protesting Bypass

The California Highway Patrol arrested three people in Willits today at two locations where protesters were trying to stop work on the Willits Bypass.

75 Protesters Shut Down CalTrans HQ in Willits

Two people were arrested Wednesday, April 24, 2013 at the Caltrans offices in Willits. 75 people protesting against the Willits Bypass shut down the building all morning. Two women were arrested by the CHP.

Bypass Tour

I went on the Ceremonial Bypass Lands Tour yesterday and took these photos.

April 21-28: Week of Action to Defend Little Lake Watershed!

Action Camp Opens April 20th! Week of Activities and Educational Events Taking Place in Conjunction with Earth Day Week! Caltrans’ freeway bypass would devastate the springs, ponds, wells, and wetlands of Little Lake Valley (aka, the Willits Valley). This four-lane highway would drain and fill in — with a massive quantity of soil and asphalt — roughly 86 acres of wetlands on the valley’s north end. This is the largest wetlands fill permit the Army Corps of Engineers has granted for any project in Northern California in the past half-century.

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New Tree-sit in Willits

A tree-sitter named Crow has established a new tree-sit in an alder tree above Haehl Creek, in another attempt to stop the Willits Bypass.

Action Camp in Willits

ACTION CAMP to Defend Little Lake Valley!
What's going on?

The California Department of Transportation (CalTrans) is attempting to construct a four-lane superhighway through Little Lake Valley, otherwise known as Willits.

This project would destroy some of the Valley's last remaining wetlands, draining 86 acres — the largest wetlands fill permit in Northern California in 50 years. It is in the process of destroying oak savannahs and oak forests throughout the valley and on surrounding hillsides, and generating a massive quantity of CO2 emissions. It would severely damage the local economy, while doing remarkably little to prevent traffic congestion.
Action Camp Kicks Off
Ree12

Defenders of Little Lake Valley are excited to announce the establishment of an action camp. This mobilization will begin on Saturday, March 30th and remain ongoing until we have stopped the CalTrans superhighway. We are calling on everyone interested in standing up against massive waste, destruction, and greed to travel to our fair valley and help us protect what we hold sacred.

In recent days, CalTrans has been on a rampage. Its contractors have laid waste to large areas of vegetation, installed more than three miles of construction fencing, and dumped gravel to reinforce their haul road. Owing to the strength of our opposition, CalTrans has called on an overwhelming California Highway Patrol officers, including 24-hour surveillance, to be able to carry forward its destruction.

Think of it! The California Highway Patrol's operation in Willits is likely its biggest mobilization in the state, in a town with a municipal population of roughly 5,000 people.

But the CHP cannot maintain this sort of mobilization for much longer, nor are we going away. We have only come together closer so we can fight harder. We have delayed CalTrans' construction start by roughly two months already. Meanwhile, a separate group has a federal Clean Water Act lawsuit pending, which will be heard in court in May. Early next week, we are also we filing a California Environmental Quality Act Lawsuit, which would stop this project in its tracks.

We can win this! But we need your help.
Action Camp Logistics

To register for the action camp or for more details, please contact:
littlelakeactioncamp@gmx.com

For updates and further information regarding Little Lake Valley:
http://www.savelittlelakevalley.org/

Action Camp start date: Saturday, March 30th

Come prepared! Bring food, water, bedding, warm clothing, rain gear, art supplies, acoustic instruments, songs, and volunteer energy. Please no weapons, drugs, alcohol, pets, or fires. Explain any special needs you may have at pre-registration.

We will be mobilizing creative action towards halting the construction of the Willits Bypass. Your ideas are needed! No special prior experience is required to participate. There are many simple yet important ways to contribute, such as sign and banner making and legal observation.

As an action camp participant, you will learn about the imperiled wetlands, oak woodlands, and migratory bird nesting areas along highway 101 through ongoing hikes, tours, and campfires.
Statement From The Warbler

“I have been tree sitting for 55 days, the past three of which have been taken over by CHP and CalTrans. Right now, CHP officers deployed from all over the state are here to occupy Little Lake Valley and prevent supporters from bringing in supplies. They are also covering up the crimes being committed by Caltrans RIGHT NOW. There is a legal term for that: 'aiding and abetting.'

No public presence has been allowed in some of the areas being destroyed, so I don't know the extent of the damage. There are two other tree sitters, besides myself. CHP is not interested in protecting us. If they were, they would not be arresting our protectors and trying to destroy our home. We need to be able to monitor what is going on.

So we need you to come and help. This is not just about Little Lake Valley, this is about the future of this fragile matrix of life we are a part of that. And we have a responsibility to protect it. This is about solidarity. And the struggle that is going on everywhere. If this is not stopped here and now, the destruction will continue.”

Please join us in Little Lake Valley! We've got no time to waste.
http://savelittlelakevalley.org/action-camp/

Rally Held to Stop the Willits Bypass

Willits, California- Over a hundred people gathered at a park in Willits for the Save Our Valley Rally on Saturday, April 6. Most of the tree sitters that were taken down and arrested last week by the California Highway Patrol, were there. Speakers thanked them for their efforts, and pledged to continue the protests against the Willits Bypass.